1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to circuit breakers and, more particularly, to tools used with circuit breakers.
2. Background Information
A circuit breaker is an electrical switch that protects an electrical circuit from, for example, an overcurrent condition. Unlike a fuse, which has to be replaced after every overcurrent condition, a circuit breaker can be reset after an overcurrent condition. Once the circuit breaker has been reset, it can resume normal operation until it is exposed to another overcurrent condition at which time it will once again need to be reset.
Circuit breakers, which are manufactured in various sizes, can be installed into electrical circuits by a variety of methods. For instance, a stripped electrical conductor can be wound around a screw that is disposed on a surface of the circuit breaker housing thereby electrically connecting the circuit breaker to a power circuit. After the circuit breaker is electrically connected to the power circuit, the circuit breaker can be mounted to a separate housing by a clip that extends from a surface of the circuit breaker housing. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 1, a circuit breaker 2 may be electrically connected to an electrical circuit by a number of bullet terminals 4 which are received into corresponding receptacles 6 that are disposed on a mounting member 8 that is electrically connected to the electrical circuit. The circuit breakers 2 that are depicted on FIG. 1 have a number of threaded apertures and/or inserts 10 that are disposed on a first end 12 of the circuit breaker 2. These threaded apertures 10 can be used to mount the electrical circuit breakers 2 to a mounting plate (not shown) that is positioned adjacent to the first end 12 of the circuit breaker 2. However, removing an installed circuit breaker from the housing or mounting member to which it is connected is often difficult and time consuming. Moreover, the act of removing a circuit breaker can often lead to damage to various components of the circuit breaker, such as the operating handle or actuator lever 14. Accordingly, there is a need for a tool that can be used to remove a circuit breaker without damaging any of the circuit breaker's components.